Daniel Teran has finally finished the new cover for Vesuvius Plot. Here it is.

Pliny the Elder battles the Germans in Trier only to have the tribes follow him back to Italy. Who will win as the Vesuvius Volcano starts to erupt in the background?

Who was Pliny the Elder?

Pliny the Elder, or Gaius Plinius Secundus, was an ancient Roman scientist, essayist, and thinker, probably the greatest mind of the first century AD. He had an office right next door to what later became the Porta Nigra in Trier.

What was he doing there, hundreds of miles away from his home in Rome? Trier was the oldest Roman city in Germany. He had been appointed Governor of the Province of Germany probably by the Emperor Vespasian and his son, the Emperor Titus. No doubt he studied the birds there as well as the flora and fauna since he was the first to write an encyclopedia called the Natural History, which was influential for centuries.

He was carrying on business as usual here early in the summer of 79 AD before packing his bags and returning home for a summer at the seaside south of Rome at one of his villas near the Vesuvius Volcano which unknown to any mortal that summer was about to erupt.

According to legend that is how Pliny died. He was leading an expedition to save those too near the volcano when the volcano sent a rain of ash down upon him. Italian archaeologist now think they may have discovered his remains in a ship in the Bay of Naples near the volcano. See article on the website.

But the novel offers a different explanation for his mysterious disappearance. He was being pursued by German warriors for writing a derisive work about their peoples and culture called the Germania.

But did he escape or not? Vesuvius Plot may present surprising answers. It is the latest book in the Edward Ware Thrillers at War Series.

Throughout the Edward Ware Thrillers at War Series we have various femme fatales who appear in each of the novels. In Vesuvius Plot we meet the femme fatale named Belona who appears to be the queen of the ancient German tribe. In the previous Roman novel, the Cherusci Plot, we met a femme fatale named Terentula who was married to the Roman governor of Trier at the time of 9 A.D and who turned traitor to the Emperor Augustus. In each case, Belona and Terentula take advantage of the men to betray them and betray their causes.

The femme fatale theme is big in the Edward Ware Thrillers at War Series. In the more contemporary port of the series the hero, Col. Sir Edward Ware, has a lifelong antipathy towards the villainess and the femme fatale, Helga von Wessel. At the same time he is the father of her only son, Leopold, and she exercises a fatal attraction of the flesh which Edward must always struggle against. He tries to be true to his wife, Dora, Lady Ware, also his fellow conspirator. He must also resist the femme fatale’s attempts to steal the Lawrence maps, key to world domination.

In the series femme fatales become part of the theme itself. They are the touchstones which the hero must struggle against discover his role, his identity, and to achieve his eventual triumph. They embody villainy itself in a very personal way.

But at the end of the series where do all these evil women go? None of them actually seems to get killed or die in the book. Even Helga von Wessel only disappears. Belona seems to be magical, almost a goddess or evil goddess in herself. Terentula is the head of the defiant political movement that will not go away will give Rome trouble in the future. I’d like to think of all three of them as someday meeting in a dark corner of the earth, or perhaps the dark side of the moon, or perhaps some lost Potemkin village in the wilds of Russia where no one else will ever find them. They can set up their own city with their own laws where all these women are in charge. They can exploit the men only in some dark fantasy but not in real life.

Vesuvius Plot is dedicated to the mountain that never sleeps, Mount Vesuvius, still active after 2000 years.

The author visited Pompeii in the Amalfi Coast on her second trip to Rome she was 15 years old. She took a one day tour from the eternal city down the coast to the most famous archaeological ruin that exists anywhere. She was anxious to take notes and photographs for her Latin one class back at the high school.

She followed closely behind the guide all the way through the town, looking from left to right at all the ruined houses and artworks and taking copious notes. The guide would not allow her, her mother, or her sister to visit the art gallery devoted to nude statues and other controversial artwork. He would allow only her brother, even though he was younger, and her father to take the tour. Later she was able to view the artworks in various coffee table books that showed the reader the statues and paintings that now reside mostly in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. She was able to view Mount Vesuvius in the distance alongside of the Bay of Naples. That volcano probably made a bigger impression than anything else. It was easy to imagine even for a 15-year-old what it must’ve been like that day at noon time on August 24 79 A.D. When the volcano erupted. Up until now the author has never dealt with that event in any of her novels. She thought it was fitting that it become the subject the novel of its own entitled the Vesuvius Plot.

Here we follow the adventures of the grandson of the hero of the Cherusci Plot as he joins the administration of Pliny the Elder at Trier where the government then resided in the province of Germany. The ancestors of Arminius, Hermann the German, are still trying to resist Roman rule. In particular they are targeting Pliny the Elder because of his work entitled the Germania, which has since been lost. The governor, a famous scientist and philosopher and author of the encyclopedic natural history, the first encyclopedia ever written, criticized the Germans for being barbaric and outside the Roman world. This was an accusation that the descendants of Hermann the German were not likely to forget or forgive.

They follow Pliny the Elder and Caius Antonius back to Italy during the summer of 79 A.D. While the volcano blows its top they try to decide who will rule the Western world – will it be the Romans or will it be the Germans, under the sign of the swastika, symbol of their ancient religion, after all?

Daniel Teran’s two most recent book covers include Vesuvius Plot and Carthage Must Be Destroyed.
In Vesuvius Plot Pliny the Elder battles the Germans in Trier only to have the tribes follow him back to Italy. Who will win as the Vesuvius Volcano starts to erupt in the background?

Who was Pliny the Elder?

Pliny the Elder, or Gaius Plinius Secundus, was an ancient Roman scientist, essayist, and thinker, probably the greatest mind of the first century AD. He had an office right next door to what later became the Porta Nigra in Trier.

What was he doing there, hundreds of miles away from his home in Rome? Trier was the oldest Roman city in Germany. He had been appointed Governor of the Province of Germany probably by the Emperor Vespasian and his son, the Emperor Titus. No doubt he studied the birds there as well as the flora and fauna since he was the first to write an encyclopedia called the Natural History, which was influential for centuries.

He was carrying on business as usual here early in the summer of 79AD before packing his bags and returning home for a summer at the seaside south of Rome at one of his villas near the Vesuvius Volcano which unknown to any mortal that summer was about to erupt.

According to legend that is how Pliny died. He was leading an expedition to save those too near the volcano when the volcano sent a rain of ash down upon him. Italian archaeologist now think they may have discovered his remains in a ship in the Bay of Naples near the volcano. See article on the website.

But the novel offers a different explanation for his mysterious disappearance. He was being pursued by German warriors for writing a derisive work about their peoples and culture called the Germania.
But did he escape or not? Vesuvius Plot may present surprising answers. It is the latest book in the Edward Ware Thrillers at War Series.

In Carthage Must Be Destroyed Gaius Antonius is inspired by the leading senator and statesman, Marcus Porcius Cato. He turns his talent for drawing into a map making expedition to Carthage where he manages to ferret out a naval vessel as evidence that the Carthaginians are starting to rebuild their fleet in the aftermath of the Second Punic War. They have finished with the reparations that Rome imposed on them, and now have money to spare.

He and his mentor Cato return to the Roman Senate to get them to declare war when the map disappears. Gaius must chase the Carthaginian Princess Tanit across the Mediterranean and meet all sorts of unexpected hardships.

Will he make it in time, or will Princess Tanit and her relatives gain the upper hand against them? Find out in Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Dora Benley.

Pliny the Elder, or Gaius Plinius Secundus, was an ancient Roman scientist, essayist, and thinker, probably the greatest mind of the first century AD. He had an office right next door to what later became the Porta Nigra in Trier.

What was he doing there, hundreds of miles away from his home in Rome? Trier was the oldest Roman city in Germany. He had been appointed Governor of the Province of Germany probably by the Emperor Vespasian and his son, the Emperor Titus. No doubt he studied the birds there as well as the flora and fauna since he was the first to write an encyclopedia called the Natural History, which was influential for centuries.

He was carrying on business as usual here early in the summer of 79AD before packing his bags and returning home for a summer at the seaside south of Rome at one of his villas near the Vesuvius Volcano which unknown to any mortal that summer was about to erupt.

According to legend that is how Pliny died. He was leading an expedition to save those too near the volcano when the volcano sent a rain of ash down upon him. Italian archaeologist now think they may have discovered his remains in a ship in the Bay of Naples near the volcano. See article on the website.

But the novel offers a different explanation for his mysterious disappearance. He was being pursued by German warriors for writing a derisive work about their peoples and culture called the Germania.

But did he escape or not? Vesuvius Plot may present surprising answers. It is the latest book in the Edward Ware Thrillers at War Series.

Part of the theme of the Edward Ware Thrillers at War Series is the contrast between England and America. Dora is an American. Edward is British. That is part of the conflict.

Something similar to Brexit is happening here? The government shut down here is nothing close to being as serious as the Brexit mess in England although I’ve seen more than one British commentator thinking as you do about it. There is no full-blown constitutional crisis here. There is no battle between the executive and the Congress, just political games and crap which doesn’t amount to a hill of beans and is rather boring. Politicians are trying to do what they always do — get your attention. Most people here don’t even pay attention to it. The average person in Missouri or Kansas doesn’t know anybody employed by the federal government and could care less if they aren’t getting their full pay.

And by the way this political battle between Trump and Pelosi CANNOT wend its way to the Supreme Court. The federal workers could be furloughed for two years and the Supreme Court wouldn’t rule on it.

Did you know that after 30 days of furlough the President has the authority to look over the list of furloughed employees and actually permanently lay off the ones he doesn’t deem necessary? Trump hasn’t taken this tack, but he has the authority to do so. Some Conservatives would take this tack to cut down on the federal bureaucracy and drain the swamp in DC.

Soon Cheops Books will assemble a brochure. It will include Dora Benley’s classical thrillers: Julia: A Romance, Caesar’s Lost Legions, Carthage Must Be Destroyed, and Vesuvius Plot.

Who was Pliny the Elder?

Pliny the Elder, or Gaius Plinius Secundus, was an ancient Roman scientist, essayist, and thinker. He was probably the greatest mind of the first century AD. He had an office right next door to what later became the Porta Nigra in Trier.

What was he doing there, hundreds of miles away from his home in Rome? Trier was the oldest Roman city in Germany. He had been appointed Governor of the Province of Germany probably by the Emperor Vespasian and his son, the Emperor Titus. No doubt he studied the birds there as well as the flora and fauna. He was the first to write an encyclopedia called the Natural History, which was influential for centuries.

He was carrying on business as usual here early in the summer of 79AD. This was before packing his bags and returning home for a summer at the seaside south of Rome at one of his villas near the Vesuvius Volcano. Unknown to any mortal that summer, it was about to erupt.

According to legend that is how Pliny died. He was leading an expedition to save those too near the volcano when the volcano sent a rain of ash down upon him. Italian archaeologist now think they may have discovered his remains in a ship in the Bay of Naples near the volcano. See article on the website.

But the thriller offers a different explanation for his mysterious disappearance. He was being pursued by German warriors for writing a derisive work about their peoples and culture called the Germania.

But did he escape or not? Vesuvius Plot may present surprising answers. It is the latest book in the Edward Ware Thrillers at War Series.

Edward Ware Thrillers Newsletter January, 2019:
Cheops Books LLC has just published Dora Benley’s latest young adult thriller, Mysterious Neighbor.
Picture of cover of Mysterious Neighbor
Teenager Madeline Anthony-Pratt climbs over the wall to her neighbor’s house one night to retrieve her cat. Intruders appear. She hides in the shadows. They whisper in a foreign tongue and hold out a Pepsi can with black crud on it. They light a match.
Why are they trying to blow up her neighbor’s house tonight? The men aren’t telling as the match gets closer to the wick.

In Mysterious Neighbor Madeline and her boyfriend, Drew, are left to deal with matters as best they can, and even Drew can’t help much. He had just enlisted in the military. No adults seem willing to help except the old lady next door, the mysterious neighbor, who is being targeted by the thugs. She has all too much to tell Madeline. And the teenager can count the seconds ticking away on her life after she finds out the dangerous information the old lady has to impart to her.

This is no ordinary plot. It’s bigger than 9/11 and far more devastating. It has been two thousand years in the making.

Recently it has also promoted Julia: A Romance by Dora Benley, published last spring.

Picture of front cover of Julia: A Romance.

Julia has every reason to wish that she had not been born the daughter of a Roman senator during the Roman Civil Wars of Marius and Sulla. Her father, Rufus, is trying to escape the proscription lists and save his life by betrothing his only daughter in marriage to Marcus Sisenna.

Marcus Sisenna is the right hand man of Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, one of the leading men of Rome of the day. Rufus needs his armies and the protection both Sulla and Sisenna can provide.

But Julia does not want to marry a man who has already had five wives and who is just marrying her for her father’s money and estates. She does not want to be added to his collection of trophies. Julia wants personal happiness despite the time period into which she has been born.

Her father thinks only of keeping his wealth and estates together. Her divorced mother is interested only in her own lovers. To whom shall Julia turn for assistance? The answer may surprise you. For it is obviously just the opposite of what the desperate Julia might expect.

On March 15 Cheops Books LLC will publish Caesar’s Lost Legions.

Caesar Augustus has sent Caelius Antonius to the Roman province of Germania in 9 AD to draw a map of wonders that will lead the legions to a promised land as far East as the River Elbe. There are reports of a a sea port that would serve as a highway to lands as yet unnamed.

Augustus’s ward, Arminius, a model German turned Roman, has volunteered to lead the legions of Varus there. Caelius awakens one night to find a symbol of Thor’s hammer engraved in the tree bark outside his tent. He senses a spy from some disaffected tribe watching him. He reports the spy to Varus who defers to Arminius. Arminius says that all the Germans are of course watching, delighted that the Romans have come to civilize their benighted country.

Evidence builds of a conspiracy. Caelius reports it to Augustus back in Rome personally. But Augustus refuses to listen. Arminius was his ward who had lived in his house in Rome, and Caesar had never had a son of his own. Arminius was his blind spot. As a warning to Caelius, Caelius’s wife is kidnapped. No matter what Caelius must defend his maps to the death. They hold the key to Rome’s future. He hopes that neither he nor his wife must die to realize it.

Join Edward’s long ago ancestor, Caelius, in his adventures on the far frontiers of the Roman Empire in Germany. They echo the adventures his latter day descendant, Edward Ware, will someday face in his own map plots against the latter-day Germans.

Recently Daniel Teran, the cover artist, drew a cover for the upcoming historical thriller Carthage Must Be Destroyed.

Picture of Carthage Must Be Destroyed
In Carthage Must Be Destroyed Gaius Antonius is inspired by the leading senator and statesman, Marcus Porcius Cato. He turns his talent for drawing into a map making expedition to Carthage where he manages to ferret out a naval vessel as evidence that the Carthaginians are starting to rebuild their fleet in the aftermath of the Second Punic War. They have finished with the reparations that Rome imposed on them, and now have money to spare.

He and his mentor Cato return to the Roman Senate to get them to declare war when the map disappears. Gaius must chase the Carthaginian Princess Tanit across the Mediterranean and meet all sorts of unexpected hardships.

Will he make it in time, or will Princess Tanit and her relatives gain the upper hand against them? Find out in Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Dora Benley.

In Carthage Must Be Destroyed Gaius Antonius is inspired by the leading senator and statesman, Marcus Porcius Cato. He turns his talent for drawing into a map making expedition to Carthage where he manages to ferret out a naval vessel as evidence that the Carthaginians are starting to rebuild their fleet in the aftermath of the Second Punic War. They have finished with the reparations that Rome imposed on them, and now have money to spare.

He and his mentor Cato return to the Roman Senate to get them to declare war when the map disappears. Gaius must chase the Carthaginian Princess Tanit across the Mediterranean and meet all sorts of unexpected hardships.

Will he make it in time, or will Princess Tanit and her relatives gain the upper hand against them? Find out in Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Dora Benley.

There is still time to enter the Goodreads Giveaway for Egyptian Spy by Dora Benley. Win 1 of 100 free copies of the book.

Dora, Lady Ware, her husband, Colonel Sir Edward Ware, his boss, Wickie, and Wickie’s wife, Jane, all travel to the Sphinx outside Cairo for the Christmas holidays when Edward’s mother, the Dowager Lady Ware, comes to visit in the 1930’s between the wars.

There are mystery figures hanging about even on top of the Sphinx and Dora cannot quite make them out. When she is left alone for a moment, a stalker approaches her and threatens her if she does not hand over the military maps that they want.

She flees and the stalker chases her. She finds herself on top of the Sphinx with a spitting cobra, only to be saved by Leopold, a young man who has befriended her.

But he is suddenly gunned down. But whom? And who is Leopold? Dora had better find out or she could soon be dead, too, in Egyptian Spy, a new thriller by Dora Benley.

Currently the debate for Egyptian Spy is scheduled for Friday, December 7 at 10:15AM MT.

Dora, Lady Ware, her husband, Colonel Sir Edward Ware, his boss, Wickie, and Wickie’s wife, Jane, all travel to the Sphinx outside Cairo for the Christmas holidays when Edward’s mother, the Dowager Lady Ware, comes to visit in the 1930’s between the wars.There are mystery figures hanging about even on top of the Sphinx and Dora cannot quite make them out. When she is left alone for a moment, a stalker approaches her and threatens her if she does not hand over the military maps that they want.

She flees and the stalker chases her. She finds herself on top of the Sphinx with a spitting cobra, only to be saved by Leopold, a young man who has befriended her.

But he is suddenly gunned down. But whom? And who is Leopold? Dora had better find out or she could soon be dead, too, in Egyptian Spy, a new thriller by Dora Benley.